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Month: August 2022

Categories
Ants

3 Signs You Have a Carpenter Ant Infestation

3 Signs You Have a Carpenter Ant Infestation

Finding a trail of ants in your home can certainly be a nuisance and difficult to eradicate. But one type of ant that goes above and beyond just being a bother is the carpenter ant. These wood burrowing insects can cause real damage to your home’s structure. Being able to identify a carpenter quickly is crucial to preventing the destruction being done to your home. 3 signs that you have a carpenter ant infestation are the physical appearance of the ants, finding shed wings on outdoor window sills, and finding sawdust under certain places in the house. Knowing what to look for will help you identify the carpenter ants and know when to call in a professional to eliminate the ants from your home.

Large, black, or black and red ants

One good thing about carpenter ants is that they are much larger than your average ant. The size alone will cause you to take note if you see a trail of busy, bustling ants marching across your kitchen floor. Carpenter ants are often solid black or brown. Some carpenter ants can have red heads and thorax, while their abdomens are black. The ants should be easily seen in the home if they are present. But do not ignore them for being a typical ant who is just after a drop of honey. Carpenter ants can do extensive damage to your home.

Shed wings near windows

Like termites, swarmer carpenter ants have wings and if they have decided to enter your home, you will find their discarded wings on or around outdoor window sills. This may not be a sign you go looking for because the wings will only be around for a short period of time. But if you are outside and you happen upon a pile of insect wings, investigate further because if it turns out to not be carpenter ants, it is likely to be a termite infestation.

Piles of wood under baseboards, window sills, and door jams

Unlike termites, carpenter ants do not eat wood, but instead, they burrow down into the wood to create nests. This burrowing will eventually weaken the structure of your home, causing extensive and costly damage.  As the ants burrow into the wood, they kick out the wood shavings they have just created. If you notice sawdust piles under wooden furniture, under baseboards, window sills, or near door jams, take note that you may have a carpenter ant infestation.

Differences between ants and termites

Carpenter ants and termites can have overlapping signs such as the shed wings and piles of sawdust in the home. Termites leave piles of excrement behind but because they eat wood, the droppings resemble wood fibers. To distinguish between termites and carpenter ants, look at their waists, wings, and antennae.

  • Ants have a  pinched waist while termites bodies go straight back from their heads
  • Ant wings are in two sets with the top set longer than the bottom. Termites also have two sets of wings but both sets are similar in size.
  • Ants have bent or elbowed antennae while termites’ antennae are straight.

If you suspect you have carpenter ants in your home in Northern New Jersey, do not hesitate to give Abarb Pest Services a call today.

Categories
Ants

Ant Control in Passaic County

Ant Control in Passaic County

When ants find their way into your house, it can be quite difficult getting rid of them. Ants, of course, do not travel alone and once they have located a food source, they zone in and do not forget to let all their fellow ants know exactly where to find the treats. In Passaic County, if you develop an ant problem, do not hesitate to call in the professional to eradicate the ants from the premises. Ant control experts will treat the inside and outside of your home so that the ants never again march through your kitchen in search of your food.

Treatment for ants

Once ants have entered your Passaic County home, all the sweeping and cleaning will not dissuade the ants from continuing to come inside in search of food. A pest professional will be able to address where the ants are coming from and even prevent them from coming into your yard altogether.

After eliminating the ants that are in your home, an ant control expert will begin treating the mounds that are outside of the house. Many times, the ants inside can be traced to a particular mound in the yard. Once the mound is eliminated, an experienced pest control technician will spray a barrier around the perimeter of the home, so the ants will never be close enough to find a new way into your Passaic County home.

Making sure no wood eating insects are on the property

When the pest professional inspects the home, they will make sure to identify the type of ants that are invading. By making sure the ants are not either carpenter ants or termites, which are sometimes confused with ants, you will at least be reassured that your home will not end up as insect food any time soon. If you see ants in your home and want to make sure they are not harmful to the structure of your house, here are some identification tips:

  • Carpenter ants are large, black or brown ants. In some cases, the ants have red heads and thoraxes but black abdomens
  • Carpenter ants and termites leave behind small piles of wood shavings or excrement resembling sawdust
  • Carpenter ants and termites leave discarded wings on outdoor window sills before entering your home
  • Termites have straight antennae, not elbowed or bent antennae like ants
  • Ants have two sets of wings with the top set longer than the lower set, while termites have two sets the same length
  • Both can cause severe damage to a home if left undiscovered

While ants are a nuisance and difficult to get rid of, they are mostly harmless. If you have a persistent ant problem or are not sure if you have carpenter ants or even termites, call Abarb Pest Services to inspect and treat your home for any insect that has invaded your property.

Categories
Termites

Is Termite Damage Expensive to Fix?

Is Termite Damage Expensive to Fix?

The news that you have a termite infestation can be overwhelming and worrisome. If a termite infestation goes on for an extended period of time, it is very possible that the termite damage ends up being very expensive to fix. Termites can quietly eat away at your home without your knowledge for months. Depending on the size of the colony and how soon you discover these home destroying insects, you could be left with costly damages and even a structurally compromised home. Understanding why you have termites in the first place and knowing where to look for signs can help you avoid having to do expensive repairs to correct the damage done by termites.

How do termites get in my home?

Knowing what attracts termites into your home can help reduce the chances of these little destroyers from coming in. Like all creatures, food and water are the main attractors for termites. Termites need a wood source for food and have some sort of access to water. Basements and leaky roofs can be perfect spots for termites to set up shop and start chomping away at your home.

Keeping the foundation clear of being touched by any organic matter can help keep termites out. Flower bed mulch that touches your foundation without any kind of barrier between house and flower beds can quickly become infested with termites, giving them food, cover, and time to find all the cracks, holes, and crevice access straight into your walls.

Wood piles also attract termites. If you have a wood pile near to the house, you may be bringing termites close enough to entice them to move in with you.

Like wood piles, old, dead stumps can also attract termites if near to your home.

Signs of termites

Watching for signs of termites can help you catch the infestation sooner, reducing damages and the heavy strain on your wallet if damage is extensive. A few signs for termites are:

  • Mud tunnels on or around the exterior foundation
  • Small piles of sawdust looking excrement under wooden furniture and woodwork.
  • Warped or seemingly water damaged floors
  • Thin or hollow sounding woodwork
  • Light clicking sounds at night. Though this indicates a severe infestation

How expensive is termite damage?

Obviously, the sooner you identify and begin treating a termite infestation, the cheaper the repairs will be. But in today’s economy, just getting to the hardware store can be expensive. Termite damage can easily be upwards of $1000 and depending where the infestation is, can cause severe damage to your home. If left unaddressed for years, the house can even be deemed unlivable.

To protect yourself from costly damages from termite infestations, have a termite control professional inspect your property at least once a year. For those living in northern New Jersey, give Abarb Pest Services a call to prevent termites from causing expensive damage in your home.

Categories
Mosquitoes

How Do I Get Rid of Mosquitoes from My Yard?

How Do I Get Rid of Mosquitoes from My Yard?

Mosquitoes thrive in the cool morning and evening air. Just as you come out to enjoy your yard before it heats up in the middle of the day, you are swarmed by blood-sucking mosquitoes. After you are finally driven back inside because of the incessant biting, it’s obvious that you must get rid of mosquitoes if you are ever going to enjoy your yard again. There are several ways to create an environment that is not hospitable to mosquitoes. But the best sure fire way to prevent mosquitoes from taking over your yard is to have a professional pest control service spray a barrier around your yard, keeping the mosquitoes out for good.

Keeping mosquitoes away

Everyone knows that you can spray on a little insect repellent to keep the mosquitoes at bay. But to have that distinctive, pungent smell of repellent on you at all times would certainly get old pretty quick. When it comes to your yard, you want to be able to sit on the back porch to sip coffee or check your garden vegetables without having to wear a hazmat suit. If you want to keep  mosquitoes from entering your yard, start close to the house and work your way out. Always take special note of any stagnant water on your property. This is an ideal breeding location for mosquitoes. You can prevent mosquitoes from breeding in your yard by draining water from these spots.

Light citronella candles on the patio or porch as soon as you go outside or if you have a fan installed under your porch, flip it on.  You can also begin planting beautiful, mosquito repelling plants around your primary outdoor spaces. If planting them in the ground is not a good idea because you are a renter or if the ground is not suitable, there are several plants that thrive in pots while keeping mosquitoes away. Try planting herbs like:

  • Basil
  • Mint
  • Rosemary
  • Lemon balm
  • Thyme

And flowering plants like:

  • Geraniums
  • Marigolds
  • Lantana
  • Lavender

Eliminating mosquitoes in your yard

Further from your most frequented areas, the best way to get rid of mosquitoes is to hire a professional pest control company to treat your yard. By fogging around the perimeter of your yard, any mosquitoes that land on foliage for a rest or to escape the heat of the day, will be exterminated on the spot. Every female mosquito is capable of laying close to a hundred eggs after she bites you. Every adult mosquito killed can result in a less and less mosquito ridden yard until you can finally exit your home and peacefully enjoy your yard without a trace of mosquitoes buzzing around.

For Northern New Jersey residents, give Abarb Pest Services a call to begin making your yard an oasis away from the itchy bites of mosquitoes.

Categories
Termites

Termite Control in Haskell, NJ

Termite Control in Haskell, NJ

If left unchecked, termites, hidden deep in your walls, attic, or floors, can be eating away at your home, causing serious structural damage. Termites eat the cellulose in wooden boards and furniture and are active in most parts of the country, including New Jersey. Most home owners will have to deal with termites on some level at some point because they are quite prevalent in the US. Finding the best company for termite control in Haskell County can give you the peace of mind you need so you won’t have to worry about expensive repairs caused by termites. You can reduce the cost of termite damage and keep your Haskell County home intact by having a regular, yearly termite inspection by a professional termite exterminator.

Termite control

Starting a yearly inspection of your home or property can keep the expensive destruction of termites at bay. Protect your home and your money by calling a professional who has a plan to treat your home and property for these silent destroyers. With the economy like it is at the moment, any extra expenses like costly home repairs can take a serious toll on your finances.

Having professional, experienced eyes on your Haskell property will keep your house or commercial building from being destroyed by termites or at least catch an infestation early. You can look for the signs of termites yourself, which is certainly helpful. But to find what is really lurking behind the walls without any obvious evidence on the surface, hiring a professional termite inspector will benefit you and the well being of your home greatly. A yearly inspection and treatment if necessary will cut off any potential damage from getting out of control and you can know that your greatest asset, your home, is safe.

Treatment

Having your home treated for termites does not involve gutting the walls of your house  in search of termite colonies. Your  pest control professional will use technology and experience to locate the termite nests so they know exactly where to treat for termites. A pest control service will return to your home at regular intervals to check your property for termites and treat any places if termites are found. This is the best way to keep your home safe from termite damage. A professional termite exterminator can set up quarterly or yearly inspections so your home is getting a good scan of any potential activity from these wood eating bugs.

Not only will a pest control professional treat the spots where termites are located, but they will also treat the soil around the house so termites can not re-infest your home. For friendly, professional services, give Abarb Pest Services in Haskell, NJ a call today.